Wire beamer tensioner unit and method



R. c. PIERCE WIRE BEAMER TENSIONER UNIT AND METHOD July 22, 1941.

Filed July 18 1940 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iv'zverz '02.? 277 aj zfce,

July 22, 1941. R. c. PIERCE WIRE BEAMER TENSIONER UNIT AND METHOD FiledJuly 18; 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J uly 22, 1941. R. c. PIERCE WIRE BEAMERTENsIoNEfi UNIT AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 18, 1940,Z/7'KUG7Z 07% 5 77 Cfzlgrae,

Patented July 22, 1941 WIRE BEAMER TENSIONER UNIT AND METHOD Robert 0.Pierce, Niles, Mich., assignor to National-Standard Company, acorporation of Michigan Application July 18, 1940, Serial No. 346,235

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wire beamer tensioner unit orwire winding apparatus and method. The invention is more particularlyapplicable to apparatus and method for winding a plurality of wires in aset.

In connection with the manufacture of rubber Vehicle tires and for otherpurposes, it is frequently desirable to provide a plurality ofrelatively fine flexible wires in a set. For example, as here shown,such a set may include four separate wires. At each end of the set, theseparate ends of the individual wires are ordinarily fastened togetherin some suitable manner to facilitate handling of the set or group ofwires. For shipping purposes, the set is usually wound upon an ordinaryspool or drum.

My invention relates more particularly to apparatus and method forwinding such a set of Wires upon a spool. In ordinary practice, the setis formed as it is wound upon the spool by drawing separate wires fromseparate supply spools and winding them together in a set upon the newspool. In the present specification I shall assume, merely for purposeof example, that the set includes four wires. It is to be understood,however, that such a set may comprise any number of wires. In formerpractice, the ends of the four wires were initially joined together tostart the set, and then the four wires together were Wound upon thespool, each wire freely flowing.

from each separate spool. In such practice, it usually happened that theindividual wires of the set would not wind evenly on the receiving spoolwith the result that some wires of the set would be longer than others.In winding on the receiving spool some wires of the set would ride up onothers, while some would drop down between, so that during the windingoperation some wires of the set would be drawn more rapidly from thesupply spools than others. As stated, the result of this was to placeupon the receiving spool a set of wires of uneven lengths. Consequently,when the set was removed from the spool, difliculty was encounteredbecause some wires of the set were longer than others.

, The principal feature of my invention is the provision of apparatusand method for winding such a set of wires upon a spool so that all thewires of the completed set, after being wound upon the spool, will be ofthe same length. When such a set is removed from the spool, all thewires will lie parallel under equal tension and be adapted for readyapplication in manufacture. In general, it may be stated that myinvention comprises, in combination with a spool winding thereon aplurality of wires in a set, means for positively feeding to said spooleach individual wire of the set at the same rate. In the formerpractice, the receiving spool would draw each individual wire of the setfreely from the supply spool. If one wire of the set ran up on highplaces on the receiving spool that wire would be drawn just that muchfaster from its supply spool with the result that that wire of the setwould be longer than the others. The essence of my invention is toprevent this by definite feedin measuring or metering each separate wireof the set so that they all will positively be fed to the receivingspool at the same rate.

In the practice of my invention, each wire of the set is supplied froman individual supply spool, but there is interposed between the su plyspools and the set receiving spool, apparatus which definitely measures,meters, or feeds the separate wires all at the same rate. In general,this comprises two large drums around which the four wires are woundseveral times so as to have sufficient frictional engagement with saiddrums to prevent slippage of any wire. To increase the frictionalengagement there are smaller friction drums pressing against the wiresto hold them in contact with the larger drums. The set receiving spoolpulls the set to drive these drums, and the wires are supplied to thedrums from the four individual supply spools. With this construction,the wire or wires having the greatest tension between the receivingspool and the friction drums will drive the latter at a certain rate. Ifany wire of the set, however, is dropping in'low places, such as valleysor depressions between wires previously wound on the receiving spool sothat its tension is decreased, it will become temporarily slack betweenthe receiving spool and the friction drums. Such frictions drums,however, will continue to feed it at the same rate as the wire havingthe greatest tension. The result of this slackness will be to cause thiswire to ride up on the higher places on the receiving spool untilfinally such slackness is taken up. In other words, the slackness willfacilitate the more rapid taking up of this slack wire on the receivingspool, while the wires with greater tension will tend to be pulled downinto low places, such as valleys or depressions between the wirespreviously wound on the receiving spool, with the result that the slackwires will be taken up more rapidly and the taut wires not so rapidly,with the final result that the individual wires of the complete set uponthe receiving spool when the winding is completed will all be of thesame length within exceedingly fine limits.

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention shown inthe accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, Fig, 2 isa view in end elevation, Fig. 3 is a view, taken as indicated by theline 3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a top plan view, and Fig. 5 is a view inside elevation on a reduced scale. I

As shown in the drawings, [a, Ha, l2a, and Wu indicate four separatesupply spools for supplying the four wires III, II, I2, and I3,respective- 13'. to form the set to be wound upon the set receivingspool M which is driven in any suitable manner (not shown).

I indicates a suitable spreader of well known construction adapted forreciprocal movement to move the wires back and forth as they are beingwound upon the spool M in order to distribute them more or less evenlyon the spool in a well known manner. a

Located between the set receiving spool I4 and the supply spools are thetwo friction drums l6 and II about which the set of wires is Wound fourtimes, as shown in the drawings. l8 indicates a comb, between the teethof which the wires are placed in order to assist in holding them inseparated positions. The drums 16 and I! are suiiicientlylarge and aremade of suitable material so that the wires frictionally engage the samewith substantially no slippage thereon. Thisfr'ictional engagement isincreased by the pressure of two additional friction rolls Ito and. Ha,above the. drums operating by gravity, and weighted, as desired, topress the wires more securely into frictional engagement with the drumsI6 and l1. I

The drums'lt and-i! are driven by the spool l4 through the tension ofone or more of the wires. Suitable drags or friction devices (not shown)for the supply spools are provided to prevent overrunning of the same.

.As shown in Fig. 5, there is some space between the spool l4 and thefriction drums I6 and l'l.- It will be seen that the wire or wires thatare wound fastest upon the spool M will have the greatest tensionbetween the spool 14 and frictiondrums l6 and I], and consequently willbe the wires driving such friction drums. For example, as shown inFig.5, I have indicated one of the wires 16 as having greater tensionthan the wire |3.-- This drawing is largely diagrammatic andQthe othertwo wires for convenience are not shown. The principle can just as wellbe illustrated with two wires. As shown in this figure, the wire [0,having gone up on the high placeson thelspool M, has had its tensionincreased. Since all the wires are frictionally in engagement with thedrums' l6 and 11, said drumshave fed the'wire l3 just as fast as thewire [0. Since the wire it has gone into low places on the receivingspool and consequently not been takenup as fast, it has developed someslack between the spool l4 and the friction drums. The result of thiscondition isto cause the taut wire-ll] to be pulleddown into the lowplaces on the spool. Thatis, this wire is not so likely to rideup onother-wires on the spool; The wire l3 being slack, however, will ride upon the higher places, or because of its slackness will be taken upfaster by the spool 14. The result will be to equalize thedifferences-in tension of the wires l0 and I3. Stating the matter inmore simple and general words, it can be said that as soon as any wirebecomes more taut than the others, it will not be taken up by the spoolso rapidly; and as soon as any wire becomes more slack than the others,it will be taken up more rapidly. The result of this is a continualtendency to equalize the tension and winding rate of the individualwires of the set with the result that all the wires of the set, asfinally wound upon the spool, will be ofpractically the same length.

It is to be understood that there is sufiicient drag (not shown) on thefriction drums to cause sufficient tension on one or more of the wiresthrough which the drums are driven from the winding spool to accomplishthe objects ofthe invention.

My invention finds particular use in connection with braiding machinesmaking tubular braid. Anywhere from 2 to 35 wires or more may be woundon a beamed spool with my improved apparatus and one spool is mounted oneach carrier of the braiding machine. For example, there may be a 24carrier circular braider with 10 wires on each spool in each carrier. Insuch case, if the wire is soft and easily stretched, the tighter onesmay do so and thus all the wires may come to a uniform length; but instronger materials such as high carbon wires, phosphor bronze and thelike the wire does not stretch so easily and if unevenly wound on thespool there are likely to be loops at the braiding point which causeflaws in the braiding. By the use of my invention the wires may all bewound on the spool at a given length thus facilitating the making ofcommercially smooth tubular braid.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

1. In combination With'a spool winding thereon a plurality of wires in aset, means for posi-' tively and simultaneously feeding to said spooleach individual wire of the set at the same rate.

2. In combination with a spool winding thereon a plurality of wires in aset, means for positively and simultaneously feeding to said spool eachindividual wire of the set at the same rate, said means including a drumabout which the wires are frictionally wound.

3. In combination with a driven spool winding thereon a plurality ofwires in a set, means for positively and simultaneously feeding to saidspool each individual wire of the set at the same rate, said means beingdriven from said spool by said wires.

4. In combination with a driven spool winding thereon a plurality ofwires in a set, means for positively and simultaneously feeding to saidspool each individual Wire of the set at the same rate, said meansincluding a drum about which the wires are frictionally wound, said drumbeing driven from said spool by said wires.

5. The method of winding a plurality of wires in a set upon a spoolcomprising positively and. simultaneously feeding to said spool eachindividual wire of the set at the same rate.

6. In the winding of a plurality of wires in a set upon a spool, themethod of causing the Wire winding most rapidly thereon positively andsimultaneously to feed to said spool the other wires of the set at thesame rate.

7. In combination with a driven spool windmultaneously to feed to thespool the remaining wires of the set at the same rate.

8. In combination with a driven spool winding thereon a plurality ofwires in a set, means driven by said spool through the wire winding mostrapidly thereon, said means operating through frictional engagement withthe remaining wires simultaneously to feed to the spool said remainingwires of the set at the same rate.

9. The method of producing a set of wires of equal length by a singlewinding upon a driven spool which comprises simultaneously presenting tothe spool individual wires of the number in the set from a meteringdevice and maintaining each wire in presentment relationship to thespool whereby inequalities in take-up of the individual wires areovercome by adjustment upon the spool.

10. The method of producing a set of wires of equal length by a singlewinding upon a driven spool which comprises simultaneously presenting tothe spool individual wires of the number in the set from a meteringdevice driven by said wires and maintaining each wire in presentmentrelationship to the spool whereby inequalities in take-up of theindividual wires are overcome by adjustment upon the spool.

ROBERT C. PIERCE.

